The women’s water polo team reached the finals of the championship on Thursday for the first time since 2005, beating the Netherlands 13-12. They will face the United States on Saturday.
The women’s national water polo team beat the Netherlands 13-12 in a nail-biting match to reach the World Championships. They will play in the final, for the first time since 2005.
It was no easier than the game against the Australians. The stakes were also higher, although unfortunately, we saw in the boys’ game that the quarter-finals were a decider. It is probably the match with the highest stakes. The girls were more liberated compared to the previous match. I hope they will be even more liberated in the final. To win a medal at a World Championship at home in these conditions, with this kind of organization, in front of this kind of crowd, is fantastic,”
said federal captain Attila Bíró.
The Hungarian men’s water polo team lost 11-10 to Italy on Wednesday. They can now play for fifth place at best.
Team member Gréta Gurisatti said about the match:
We have grown a lot, this group has grown together. In the critical moments – of which there were many today – we did not take anything to heart, it was easier for us to let it roll off our backs when a shot didn’t go in or we got an easy goal at the back. Even after that, we did not lose faith in winning. I am very proud because in the last defensive play you could see that we were running out of breath, we put all our energy into the last thirty-five seconds. It was a fight of the heart.”
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The most effective member of the Hungarian team, Dóra Leimeter, who scored four goals, had a hard time in the last quarter of the match: “I felt that time was passing terribly slowly. I was looking forward to it being over and having one more goal next to our name,” she said, “I think everyone gave their all. It may not have been a perfectly played game, but everyone was driven by their hearts and the crowd, so there was no question that we would win the match. So far, I was feeling a bit like the underdog, especially on attack.”
I do not necessarily always want to score goals because I do not care who scores the goals as long as the team wins. At the same time, I am really happy that I broke the barrier today – maybe at the best time.”
The Hungary-United States World Championship final will take place on Saturday at 8 p.m. The United States, winners of a record six World Championships, have lost only one final in their history – in 2005. The opponent was Hungary. After 1994, 2001, and the aforementioned 2005, the Hungarians are now preparing for their fourth final in history.
Source: Magyar Nemzet
Featured image via Tibor Illyés/MTI